This publication encourages the governing structures in East Timor to adhere fully to the norms of human rights law as a means of ensuring that the housing rights of all Timorese can be rapidly transformed into reality.
East Timor
More than a decade after their historic vote for independence from Indonesia, the people of East Timor continue to face a significant number of housing rights challenges.
Successive incompatible land tenure systems have been imposed in East Timor through its history of colonization and occupation.
A wave of housing and property destruction during the civil conflict in 2006 resulted in the displacement of 150,000 people. While the situation has stabilized and most of those displaced have accepted monetary incentives to leave Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, considerable insecurity and disorder continues to characterise land tenure, especially in urban areas.
The government is in the process of considering a draft transitional Land Law that aims to clarify land rights, and is beginning to implement a land registration system, the housing rights implications of which require close monitoring.
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